We’ve always known nothing good could emerge from Capitol Hill as long as Republicans remain in charge, but with the congressional GOP rapidly transforming itself into a horde of willing henchmen eager to do Trump’s bidding, Washington has reached a rank new low. The only thing we can expect out of the Beltway now are cruel and unconstitutional executive orders accompanied by a huge heaping of Republican cowardice.
But while D.C. sinks to unimagined depths, progressives continue to make strides in the states. In the past few years:
Oregon passed a first-of-its-kind law to automatically register voters; Connecticut became the first state to require employers to offer paid sick leave; and California enacted one of the toughest bills in the nation to close the gender wage gap.These states—especially California—are also at the forefront of the Trump resistance, vowing to fight against every pernicious move he makes.
And you know what else they have in common? Democrats have full control of the government in all of them: They hold the governor’s mansions and have majorities in both chambers of the legislature.
But here’s the dismaying thing: There are only six states left where this is still true. And thanks to successive electoral wipeouts at the state level, Republicans control the so-called “trifecta” in fully 25 states. Meanwhile, in the rest of the country, the GOP holds at least one lever of power, meaning that as long as Republicans stick together, they can block Democrats from enacting any progressive legislation whatsoever.
And unfortunately, one of those six states where Democrats are in charge is now at risk of seeing the GOP gain veto power. Delaware has a Democratic governor, John Carney, and Democrats also control the state House. But the state Senate is tied at 10 seats apiece with one vacancy, and if Republicans win a special election on Feb. 25 for the 10th District, they’d suddenly have a majority in the chamber—and could thereby thwart any and every Democratic effort to pass new progressive ideas into law.
Please give $3 to Democrat Stephanie Hansen to help her keep Delaware blue—and keep the GOP out.
